{"id":59313,"date":"2020-06-18T13:50:14","date_gmt":"2020-06-18T17:50:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=59313"},"modified":"2024-10-24T14:02:06","modified_gmt":"2024-10-24T18:02:06","slug":"mayflower-descendants-jeffrey-gorman-the-knowles-family-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/mayflower-descendants-jeffrey-gorman-the-knowles-family-line.html","title":{"rendered":"Mayflower Descendants: Jeffrey Gorman & the Knowles Family Line"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article \u2013 the second in a series about Mayflower descendants \u2013 Melissa Davenport Berry tells stories about some ancestors in the Knowles family line. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com<\/a>, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History<\/a>.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Last week\u2019s story on Virginia genealogist Mrs. W. H. Knowles<\/a> inspired me to launch a series on Mayflower<\/em> lines and their descendants. A member of my genealogy group, Jeffrey Gorman, has researched his family. The Knowles family intermarried into Mayflower<\/em> lines and Jeffrey has a massive photo collection.<\/p>\n

Through his maternal line Jeffrey is finding Mayflower<\/em> passengers William Brewster, Francis Cook, Peter Brown, and Stephen Hopkins. Jeffrey\u2019s mother Althea Moore Knowles is a direct descendant of Ruth Bowers and Richard Knowles, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1639.<\/p>\n

I was able to gather more on the Knowles family by searching GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>. My research showed the value of old newspapers, taking us beyond the names and dates to reveal the stories of our ancestors\u2019 lives. For the Knowles line, I found birth, marriage and death notices, as well as stories of a bizarre and fatal lightning strike, death during an epidemic, being kicked in the head by a horse, and a business closing.<\/p>\n

Many of the Knowles were sea captains, merchants, and master mariners who contributed a great deal to their communities in the Cape Cod area.<\/p>\n

The Twin Tragedies of Captain Nathaniel Knowles<\/strong><\/p>\n

An interesting, but tragic, find was an obituary for Jerusha (Smith) Knowles, of Orleans, Massachusetts, published in Boston\u2019s Independent Chronicle<\/em>. Jerusha, direct descendant of William Brewster, was the wife of Captain Nathaniel Knowles, son of Seth Knowles and Ruth Freeman.<\/p>\n

Jerusha was struck by lightning in her home. She was surrounded at the time by several friends and her husband. Nathaniel had a little injury and the rest of the group only felt a slight shock.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Independent Chronicle (Boston, Massachusetts), 20 August 1801, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tragedy was to strike Nathaniel again. Fifteen years after losing his wife in a freak lightning accident in their own home, a mysterious epidemic, \u201cwhich is vulgarly called the Bastard Pleurisy,\u201d swept over Cape Cod and killed Nathaniel\u2019s daughter Jerusha Knowles (b. 1786). Her death was published in the Boston Commercial Gazette<\/em>, along with many other relatives. According to sources this illness wiped out over 10 per cent of the population.<\/p>\n

\"An
https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/doc\/newspapers\/image\/v2%3A109E4222622D11B8%40GB3NEWS-104F849E4DFA0C0E%402384399-104F849ED33746DE%402-104F84A087821821Boston Commercial Gazette (Boston, Massachusetts), 29 February 1816, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The dead included: Mr. Jesse Knowles, son of Revolutionary War soldier Simeon Knowles and Eunice Mayo; widow Polly Myrick; widow Molly Knowles; Mrs. Hannah, wife of Major Henry Knowles; Mr. Seth Higgins; widow Sarah Myrick; and Mr. Aaron Higgins.<\/p>\n

Elijah Knowles<\/strong><\/p>\n

Elijah Knowles (1811-1891), son of Harding Knowles and Margaret Knowles, was a merchant and well-known citizen of Barnstable County.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Elijah Knowles. Credit: Jeffrey Glen Gorman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He owned a store in Orleans, Massachusetts, and partnered with Mark Crosby and Winsor Snow.<\/p>\n

In 1855 the Boston Herald<\/em> reported that Elijah was severely injured by a horse kick. He was knocked down by a horse attached to Cushing\u2019s Express wagon. He was treated by Dr. Ayer at the First Station.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Boston Herald (Boston, Massachusetts), 12 November 1855, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

His obituary in the Boston Herald<\/em> stated he was \u201cuniversally esteemed\u201d in the town. He represented his district in the Legislature, and served as county commissioner and revenue collector. He was also a big promotor of the Cape Cod Railroad.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Boston Herald (Boston, Massachusetts), 3 March 1891, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Elijah married 1st Mercy Ann Myrick, daughter of Harding Myrick and Rebecca Higgins, and 2nd Tabitha Holbrook, daughter of Elisha Holbrook and Sarah Brown.<\/p>\n

Captain Elijah Edwin Knowles<\/strong><\/p>\n

Elijah Edwin Knowles (1829-1899), son of Elijah Knowles and Abigail Freeman,\u00a0was well known in maritime circles.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Elijah Edwin Knowles. Credit: Jeffrey Glen Gorman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He secured his fortune as the master of large ships that made successful voyages. When he retired from the sea, he launched a second career as a director of the Cape Cod National Bank, and one of the incorporators of the Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank, both in Harwich, Massachusetts.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Boston Daily Advertiser (Boston, Massachusetts), 1 February 1899, page 4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He married Mary Francis Winslow, daughter of Nathaniel Winslow and Eliza Jane Clark.<\/p>\n

Thomas Jackson Knowles<\/strong><\/p>\n

A Knowles line moved to the Cape Ann, Massachusetts, area. Nathaniel\u2019s grandson Thomas Jackson Knowles (1830-1904) lived in Gloucester, Massachusetts. He was born to Nathaniel Knowles Jr. and Zerviah Higgins.<\/p>\n

He married Caroline Stevens Proctor (1840-1910), daughter of Anna J. Elwell and Addison Proctor \u2013 a direct descendant of John Proctor, who was falsely accused and convicted for witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials 1692.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Thomas and Caroline Knowles. Credit: Jeffrey Glen Gorman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thomas J. Knowles published a business advertisement in the Cape Ann Light and Gloucester Telegraph<\/em>. He had a shop selling clothing and gear for the fishing industry, but had sold his business to F. Bennett, Jr. In his ad, Thomas thanks his past patrons, and urged them to support the new owners \u2013 and agreed to stay on for a while, \u201chappy to meet his old friends and customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Cape Ann Light and Gloucester Telegraph (Gloucester, Massachusetts), 6 August 1864, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thomas was elected as an alderman in 1874 and owned land and stables on Mansfield Street.<\/p>\n

Explore over 330 years of newspapers and historical records in GenealogyBank. Discover your family story! Start a 7-Day Free Trial<\/a><\/p>\n

Further Reading:<\/strong><\/p>\n